Softball | 2/19/2018 10:38:00 AM

Lady Braves Play Home Opener Tuesday against Nicholls State

Alcorn Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Radio

LORMAN, Miss. – The first of 15 home games at the Alcorn Softball Complex will be played Tuesday when the Alcorn State University softball program hosts Nicholls State in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Alcorn (1-3) is going for its first-ever win against Nicholls State (3-2). The teams have played 17 times before. Last year, the Colonels barely came out on top in a pair of closely contested games 4-3 and 4-1.
 
The Lady Braves split a doubleheader with Kentucky State 2-3 and 8-4 in their last outing Thursday in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Senior Taylor Hughes tallied a pair of hits in each of the two games. Also with multi-hit outings, senior Mariah Ortiz ripped three hits in game two with a run scored and an RBI, and freshman Bri Smith went two-for-two with a double, two runs scored and a pair of RBI in the contest.
 
Hughes ranks third all-time in Alcorn history in both hits (146) and doubles (28), fourth in RBI (84), sixth in walks (49), eighth in both runs scored (76) and 11th in triples (6). She needs five more hits and five more doubles to become the school's all-time leader in those categories.
 
Hughes was named the 2018 SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. She won both 2017 SWAC Player and Hitter of the Year honors last season. Hughes hit for a .404 average and led the league with a .491 on-base percentage.
 
Alcorn dropped its 2018 opening day doubleheader at Southern Miss 5-3 and 18-0 Tuesday. The day was highlighted by a three-run homer by freshman Amari Ramsey in her first collegiate at-bat. It gave the Lady Braves a 3-0 lead in the second inning, and Alcorn was ahead until the fourth frame.
 
On the season, Ortiz leads the team with a .383 batting average and .429 on-base percentage. In the circle, freshman Ambria Dorsey has not allowed a hit or run in two appearances.
 
Alcorn has used four different starting lineups in four games this year.
 
Nicholls began its season this past weekend at the Black and Gold Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. The Colonels beat Appalachian State 4-1, Holy Cross 4-3 (8) and Akron 6-0. They fell to Fort Wayne 1-0 (8) and Middle Tennessee 4-0.
 
The Colonels went 37-20 overall and 19-8 in the Southland Conference last year. They brought back their top hitter Samantha Mracich who posted a .393 average while starting all 57 games last season.
 
Tuesday's doubleheader can be heard live via radio on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.
 
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